Vaporizer



Nov. 9, 1948. c. PERsAK 2,453Q455 VAPORIZER Filed July 21, 1947INVENTOR.

Cczr/ Pe/asa/r Hi3 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 9, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE" 2,453,455 VAPORIZER Carl Persak, Wallington, 'N. J.

Application July 21, 1947, Serial No. 762,364

6 Claims. (Cl. 219-38) This invention relates to a vaporizer, and hasreference more particularly to vaporizing apparatus for evaporatingliquids and discharging the vapors thereof into the atmosphere.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improvedvaporizing apparatus of the type indicated which is simple in itsconstruction and easy to operate and maintain.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision in suchvaporizer of a simple means for feeding the liquid to be vaporized tothe vaporizer element, whereby such feeding takes place automatically.

A still further object of the invention is the provision in suchvaporizer of an improved connection between the supply container and themeans feeding liquid to the vaporizer element, whereby such supplycontainer is readily replaceable in the vaporizer without the danger ofescape of liquid therefrom.

These and further objects of the invention will be more readily apparentin the following description of the preferred embodiment thereof shownin the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of such vaporizer with the supplycontainer mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section through such vaporizer;

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the neck end of the liquid supplycontainer; 7

Figure 4 is a view in plan of the portion of the vaporizer at the liquidsupply container receiving well therein; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in vertical cross section through thevaporizer at the bottom of the liquid container receiving well thereof.

The vaporizer of the present invention is capable of use for evaporatingvarious types of liquid such as medicinal, perfuming, disinfecting, andsimilar liquids, but it will be described particularly in connectionwith its use for the vaporizing of medicinal liquid so that the vaporthereof may be inhaled, as in the treatment of colds and other similarailments.

In the drawing, the vaporizer is designated generally by the referencecharacter 2, the bottle 4 constituting the liquid supply container beingshown mounted thereon in inverted position. The vaporizer, which isgenerally in the shape of a cylinder, has upstanding cylindrical walls 6to the bottom of which a base 8 is attached. The side walls are providedwith a series of holes Illto allow the access of air to the interior--of the vaporizer to prevent its overheating. The vaporizer is providedwith a top I2, which is provided with a centrally located well 14 forthe reception of the neck of bottle 4. The bottom of such well isdesignated l6, and the side walls thereof, [8. Well I4 is made ofsufficient depth that it receives the neck of bottle 4 so that, when thebottle is supported by contact of its shoulder 22 with the upper inneredge of wall 18, the outer end of the bottle neck is spaced at leastslightly from the upper surface of bottom wall I6 of the well.

To prevent the use of liquid supply containers with the vaporizer otherthan those designed therefor, the vaporizer and the bottle are designedso that they interfit in a unique manner. In the embodiment shown thisis accomplished by providing the lands of the threads 24 on the bottleneck- 20 with aligned discontinuities 26, and by providing a radialprojection in the form of pin 28 on the inner surface of well |4. Thepin is of such radial length as to prevent the insertion in the well ofa bottle having ordinary continuous threads on its neck. When bOttle 4has been inserted into the well with discontinuities 26 aligned with pin28 the bottle may, if desired, be locked in the well by giving it apartial turn.

The evaporator element or vaporizing chamber of the vaporizer, showngenerally at 30, is composed of a vertically disposed tube 32 supportedon the top [2 of the vaporizer as shown, the upper end of which isenlarged at 34 to form a-shoulder which rests upon the upper surface ofthe top I2 of the vaporizer. End 34 is provided with an aperture 36constituting the jet from which the vapor emerges. Tube 32 is suppliedwith liquid to be vaporized through the much smallertube 38 which isbent into the form of a U, one leg of the U connecting with the bottomof tube 32 andthe other, longer leg, being tightly fitted in the bottoml6 of well l4 through which it projects a sufiicient distance to extendupwardly into the neck of the supply bottle, as shown. Such end of tube38 is located on a level somewhat above thebottom of tube 32, andpreferably approximately midway of the length of tube 32; Heat forvaporizing the liquid and the vaporizer element 30 is provided by anelectric heating unit, shown generally at 40, in-the form of aninsulated spirally wound resistance supplied with electric currentthrough cable 42. 'The ne'ck 20 of bottle 4-'is provided at its outerend with a partial closure 44 through which is provided the smallcentral opening 46, so located as"-'td" receive the upper end ofpipe 38projecting up into the well. The diameter of hole 46 is so chosen withreference to the viscosity of the liquid 48 contained in the bottle 4that little, if any, of such liquid escapes when the bot tle containingsuch liquid is held upside down. The diameter of the hole is furtherchosen so that it is slightly larger than the outer diameter of theportion of tube 38 which projects upwardly into the well. Suchrelationship is shown in Figure 5.

The relationship which must be observed between the viscosity of theliquid to be vaporized, the diameter of the hole it in the bottle, andthe outer diameter of tube 33 projecting upwardly into the hole, in thedevice of the invention, will be illustrated by the following example.The liquid to be vaporized, a medicinal preparation consisting largelyof oil, had a viscosity of 30-35 Saybo-lt seconds at 180 F. At suchtemperature, a maximum diameter of for hole 45 was possible withoutlosing liquid from the bottle containing it, held upside down, andhaving hole All unobstructed. It is preferred ordinarily, how ever, touse a hole of a diameter somewhat less than such Value. The tube 38, inthat por tion entering hole 3$, should, in such example, have an outerdiameter from .005 to .0156" less than that of the hole 35, which givesthe following ranges of sizes for hole 36 when tube 38 is one of thesmall commercially available sizes.

[Liquid viscosity, 30-35 Scybolt Seconds at 100 F.]

l Outer Diameter of i I Tube 38, in chasm," 125 188 250 297-. 308Diameter 01 Hole 46, inchcs.i .i..i.. ..i l .l30. 141 .l93.203 .255.266.313

The thus described device functions as follows: Assuming that the systemconsisting of tube and tube 3X3 is entirely empty, a bottle containingliquid 48 is inserted in the well, as shoWn in Figure 2, Such insertioninvolves downward motion of the body of liquid which is sumcient toforce liquid down tube 38 and up into tube 32 to a height approximatingthe upper end of tube 38 within well It, at which time the systemreaches equilibrium and liquid ceases to flow from the bottle. When thevaporizer element is operated by energizing the heating element at,liquid constantly escapes from the surface thereof in tube 32 andemerges as vapor from aperture 36. mospheric pressure exerted on thatportion of the body of liquid 38 which is exposed by the annularaperture existing between hole do and pipe 38 progressively forcessufficient liquid from the bottle down through the tube 38 to maintainthe liquid level in tube 3?. substantially constant. Such relationshipis maintained until all of liquid 48 has been fed from the bottle andvaporized.

I have fully described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of thevaporizer of my invention. It is to be understood that the invention iscapable of considerable variation as to details, and that, accordingly,the scope of the invention is defined by the accompanying claims.

I claim as new the following:

1. A vaporizer comprising in combination a vaporizing chamber, means toheat the chamber to vaporize the liquid therein, means to discharge suchvapor from the chamber, and means to feed liquid to be vaporized intothe chamber comprising a small diameter tube of generally U shape, thefirst leg of the U being connected to the bottom of the chamber and thesecond leg of the U projecting to a height on a level between the topand somewhat above the bottom of the vaporizing chamber, a supplycontainer mounted above such second leg of the small U tube, such supplycontainer having in its bottom an aperture slightly larger than theouter diameter of such U tube, the upper end of the second leg of the Utube projecting into the body of the supply container through saidaperture.

2. A vaporizer comprising in combination an upright vaporizing chamber,means to heat the chamber to vaporize the liquid therein, means todischarge such vapor from the chamber, and means to feed liquid to bevaporized into the chamber comprising a small diameter tube of generallyU shape, the first leg of the U being connected to the bottom of thechamber and the second leg of the U projecting to a height on a levelbetween the top and somewhat above the bottom of the vaporizing chamber,a supply container in the form of an inverted replaceable bottle mountedabove such second leg of the small U tube, such supply container havingin its bottom, as so mounted, an aperture slightly larger than the outerdiameter of such U tube, the upper end of the second leg of the U tubeprojecting into the body of the supply container through said aperture.

3. A vaporizer comprising in combination an upright vaporizing chamberin the form of a tube, means to heat the chamber to vaporize the liquidtherein, means to discharge such vapor from the chamber, and means tofeed liquid to be vaporized into the chamber comprising a small diametertube of generally U shape, the first leg of the U being connected to thebottom of the chamber and the second leg of the U projecting to a heighton a level approximately midway between the top and bottom of thevaporizing chamber, asupply container in the form of an invertedreplaceable bottle mounted above such second leg 01" the small U tube,such supply container having in its bottom, as so mounted, an apertureslightly larger than the outer diameter of such U tube, the upper end ofthe second leg of the U tube projecting into the body of the supplycontainer through said aperture, the U tube having inner and outerdiameters materially less than those of the vaporizing chamber.

l. A vaporizer comprising in combination an upright vaporizing chamberin the form of a tube, means to heat the chamber to vaporize the liquidtherein, means to discharge such vapor from the chamber, and means tofeed liquid to be Vaporizcd into the chamber comprising a small diametortube of generall U shape, the first leg of the U being connected to thebottom of the chamber and the second leg of the U projecting to a heighton a level between the top and somewhat above the bottom of thevaporizing chamber, a supply container in the form of an invertedreplaceable bottle having a neck mounted above such second leg of thesmall U tube, such supply container having in its bottom, as so mounted,an aperture slightl larger than the outer diameter of such U tube, theupper end of the second leg of the U tube projecting into the body ofthe supply container through said aperture, the U tube having inner andouter diameters materially less than such respective diameters of thevaporizing chamber, the supply container being supported in suchrelationship by a supporting means embracing the bottle neck andengaging the shoulder of the bottle, a pin projecting radially inwardlyfrom the bottle neck embracing support, the bottle neck having alongitudinally directed recess in which such pin is received.

5. A vaporizer comprising in combination an upright outer casingcontaining therein an upright vaporizing chamber in the form of a tube,means to heat the chamber to vaporize the liquid therein, means todischarge such vapor from the chamber, such means comprising the upperend of the chamber projecting through the casing, and means to feedliquid to be vaporized into the chamber comprising a small diameter tubeof generally U shape, the first leg of the U being connected to thebottom of the chamber and the second leg of the U projecting to a heighton a level approximately midway between the top and bottom of thevaporizing chamber, the top of the vaporizer casing being provided witha well, the second leg of the U tube projecting upwardly through thebottom of such well, a supply container in the form of an invertedreplaceable bottle having a neck received in and supported by the well,such bottle having in its bottom, as so mounted, an aperture slightlylarger than the outer diameter of such U tube, the upper end of thesecond leg of the U tube projecting into the neck of the bottle throughsaid aperture, the U tube having inner and outer diameters materiallyless than such respective diameters of the vaporiZer chamber, the bottleneck having threads thereon, the threads having at least one series ofvertically aligned discontinuities, and a pin projecting radiallyinwardly of the bottle neck receivin well, so that the bottle may beinserted into the well only when the discontinuities in its thread arevertically aligned with such pin.

6. A vaporizer for liquids having a viscosity of from 30 to 35 Sayboltseconds at 100 F. comprising in combination an upright vaporizingchamber in the form of a tube, means to heat the chamber to vaporize theliquid therein, means to discharge such vapor from the chamber, andmeans to feed liquid to be vaporized into the chamber comprisin a smalldiameter tube of generally U shape, said small diameter tube having anouter diameter of from .125 to .308 inch, the first leg of the U beingconnected to the bottom of the chamber and the second leg of the Uprojecting to a height on a level approximately midway between the topand bottom of the va porizing chamber, a supply container in the form ofan inverted replaceable bottle mounted above such second leg of thesmall diameter U tube, such supply container having in its bottom, as somounted, an aperture slightly larger than the outer diameter of such Utube, the aperture in the bottom of the container exceeding the outerdiameter of the small diameter tube by from .005 to .0156 inch, theupper end of the second leg of the U tube projecting into the body ofthe supply container through said aperture, the U tube having inner andouter diameters materially less than those of the vaporizin chamber.

CARL PERSAK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,532,199 Otto Apr. 7, 19251,974,500 Martin Sept. 25, 1934 1,988.790 Gross Jan. 22, 1935 2,062,613Schleimer Dec. 1, 1936 2,125,537 Boden et al. Aug. 2, 1938 2,136,085 Roeet al. Nov. 8, 1938 2,276 809 Utley et al Mar. 17, 1942 2,280,894Cushman Apr. 28, 1942

